City Life Starter

By Megan Meier

The Word 

“¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?¹³ God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’”

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (ESV)

Reflection

Banishment from the church?! Man, that’s harsh! Maybe if we explored the context of what was going on at the time, we can see the Apostle Paul’s perspective more clearly. It was a revolutionary time when he wrote to the Christ-followers of Corinth as Christianity (or The Way as it was called back then) was the first religion that accepted all races, ethnicities, classes, socioeconomic statuses, and educational backgrounds. And many had certain lifestyles. Paul had a difficult job.

In the beginning of this chapter, Paul was chastising those who practiced forms of sexual immortality that wasn’t even tolerated by unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:1)! No wonder he was angry! He further writes:

“⁶ Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? ⁷ Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (ESV)

Reminds me of the movie Lean on Me (based on a true story), when Principal Joe Clark (played by Morgan Freeman) is given the responsibility of turning around Eastside High, a school ridden with drug dealers, drug abuse, and crime. He starts with expelling the most troublesome students. A few parents state their disagreement at his decision in a parent-teacher meeting, but he responds that one bad apple can spoil the bunch, and three hundred of them would irreversibly ruin them. His decision to expel the problem students was to save the others from the bad influences and allow them to grow and focus on better opportunities than the ones the trouble students were showing them (spoiler alert: he succeeds). Just like Principal Clark, Paul is telling the believers that one bad apple can spoil the bunch, and he gives his blessing to expel them should they not repent to protect those who want to follow The Way (I’m sure the real Joe Clark and Paul are exchanging stories in Heaven and are good friends).  

But still, kicking someone out of church? Maybe the offenders just don’t know any better. Jesus employs a “three strikes you’re out” condition: 

“‘¹⁵ If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.’”

Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV)

This makes sense. If there is an offense, tell the person privately, then one or two witnesses with evidence, then report it to the church, then if there’s no change, they’ve exhausted their chances. 

Application

Is there a fellow believer whom you need to give some tough love to? Tell them privately, but listen to the Holy Spirit for the right words and even the right tone of voice and facial expressions. Or maybe you’re the one needing some tough love? Listen to the Holy Spirit. Get deep into the Word and tell someone you trust who can help you. 

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for forgiving me of my offenses. Open my heart and ears to listen to the Holy Spirit when I am about to do wrong, and grant me the courage to speak up if a fellow believer is about to fall. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.